Workers roll up an aqua berm around the Fort Calhoun Station
Administration Building as recovery efforts continue
OPPD Focuses on Keeping Customers Well-Informed
Employees have kept customers’ needs in mind during the flood-mitigation and recovery processes. Maintaining that momentum is critical, according to Vice President Tim Burke.
“We have good systems in place for keeping customers informed,” said Tim. “Account executives work with our largest business customers; electrical service designers work with both residential and smaller business customers; customer service representatives interface mainly with residential customers. Governmental affairs personnel and our utility coordinating group work with elected officials and local, regional and state agencies.
“We are staying in contact with customers directly affected by flooding, including more than 500 whose service had to be disconnected due to the floodwater,” Tim said.
Anyone who does not have an established OPPD contact can call Consumer Relations at 402-636-3747 and leave a message with flood-related questions.
OPPD employee will get back to them with the appropriate information within 24 hours during normal business hours.
OPPD Continues to Compile Flood Costs
OPPD has incurred about $44.5 million in costs related to the Missouri River flooding to date, and that number is expected to rise, even as the floodwaters continue to recede.
Those costs include about $28.7 million for flood-protection measures such as earthen and aqua berms, sandbags of various types and sizes, pumps, etc.
The other $15.8 million represents how much OPPD has spent to replace the power Fort Calhoun Station would have generated over the last couple of months.
The total cost will not be known until the river returns to a normal level and OPPD is able to completely assess what it will take to return its facilities to pre-flood condition.
OPPD will submit some of its flood-mitigation costs to insurance, seeking reimbursement through damage claims. In addition, if the federal government declares the flooding a national disaster – which is expected – OPPD may be eligible for partial reimbursement of certain costs from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Because the amounts of such reimbursements are unknown, it is still too early to know whether the flooding will impact rates or the Fuel and Purchased Power Adjustment (FPPA), a line item on customers’ bills.
As always, OPPD’s top priority is protecting the safety of the public and our employees. OPPD will keep customers updated as new information becomes available.
